Tufting button



Nv. 9, 1937. w. B. MATHE'WSON 2,098,786

TUFTING BUTTON Filed Jan. 14, 1937 Figi i Y 2 Yigg. 5V

Invenor. Wilfred B.Muhewson J byw'fw Patented Nov. 9, 1937 PATENT OFFICE TUFTING BUTTON Wilfred B. Mathewson,

North Weymouth, Mass., K

assignor tok United Mattress Machinery Company, Inc., Quincy, Maine Mass., a corporation of Application January 14, 1937, Serial No. 120,519

3` Claims.

'I'his invention relates to tufting buttons and has for its object to provide a novel tufting button which is` constructed to reduce to a minimum the danger of the button pulling through the casing'or ticking of the mattress or the cover of a cushion.

InA tufting a mattress or a cushion or the like with tufting buttons the tufting cord is inserted through the mattress or cushion and a tufting button is tied to each end of the cord. The tufting buttons commonly employed have the usual head which rests against the outer face of the mattress and an eye shank to which the tufting cord is tied, and when the tufting operation is complete the shank of the button is pulled through the ticking or casing of the article being tufted so that the head of the button rests against the outer face of the ticking or'casing while the shank is inside the cover.

It sometimes happens that during the use of a mattress or cushion or during manipulation of it one of the tufting buttons will assume or be forced into an edgewise position relative to the mattress, and when a tufting button occupies this position it is sometimes forced through the opening in the cover or mattress ticking through which the shank projects, in which case the button loses its function as a tufting button or tufting element.

It is one of the objects of the present invention to provide an improved tufting button which has a shank of a novel shape and construction that will prevent the button from being twisted into an edgewise position relative to the mattress either during any use to which the mattres or cushion is put or during any manipulation thereof. Since the tufting button is prevented from getting into an edgewise position relative to the mattress, the possibility of its being pulled through the ticking or casing is very greatly reduced.

In order to give an understanding of the invention I have illustrated in the drawing a selected embodiment thereof which will now be described after which the novel features will be pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary sectional View through a mattress or cushion showing my improved tufting button in use;

Fig. 2 is a perspective View of the tufting button;

In the drawing I indicates generally a portion of a mattress or cushion which has the usual ticking, casing or cover 2 and the filling 3, which may be of any suitable fibrous material commonly used in mattresses or cushions. lindicates the tufting button which is provided with the usual head 5 and with a shank 6.0i novel construction which will be presently described.

In the tufting of a mattress or cushion two tufting buttons situated on opposite sides of the mattress are tied together by means of va tufting cord 1, the cord being of the proper length so that the mattress or cushion will be compressed slightly between the tufting buttons and usually the shank of the tufting button extends through and is located within the ticking or casing 2.

My improved tufting button is formed with a shank 6 of wire and it presents a stem portion 8 which is rigid with the head 5 and extends at right angles therefrom and an anchoring portion 9 which serves to anchor the shank in the filling 3 and prevent said shank from being placed in an edgewise position relative to the mattress.

The wire of which the shank 6 is formed is bent laterally at the end of the stem portion 8 as shown at I0 and then is bent back on itself as shown at I I to present the transversely-extending portion I2. This transversely-extending portion I2 is preferably of sufficient length to extend considerably beyond the stem 8. The laterally bent portion I!) is also shown as bent backwardly toward the head slightly and the return bend I I is in the form of a loop.

In tufting a mattress or cushion with my improved tufting button the ends of the tufting cord 'I will be knotted to the stem portions 8 of the shanks 6 of two tufting buttons 5 situated on opposite sides of the mattress as shown at I6, the laterally-extending portion I l! of each shank serving as an anchor to prevent the knot from slipping off from the stem portion.

It will be understood, of course, that when the tufting operation is complete the shank B of each button is located within the casing or ticking 2 and is surrounded by the filling material 3, said shank thus being embedded in the lling material.

The length of the portion I2 of the shank is such that the filling 3 offers suflicient resistance to any movement of the shank in adirection at right angles to the observer in Fig. l to prevent Y the button from being tipped into an edgewise position relative to the mattress. The shape of the portions I0 and I2 of the shank prevents the button from being tipped edgewise to the mattress in the other direction. For instance, any tendency to tip the button at the top of Fig. 1 in a counterclockwise direction Will be resisted by the engagement of the portion I0 of the shank with the material of the lling located between said portion and the ticking and. indicated at I3 in Fig. 1. It Will be noted that the portion I0 is curved slightly toward the head of the button, and hence any counterclockwise movement of the button would tend to force the lling material at I3 toward the shank of the button so that said material will furnish sufficient resistance to the tipping movement of the button to prevent the latter from being moved into a position in which the button head might be drawn through the opening in the ticking.

Any tendency of the button to tip in a clock- Wise direction in Fig. 1 is resisted by the shape of the part I2 of the shank. It will be noted that this part I2 has a slight curvature, and if the button tends to have any clockwise movement from the position shown in Fig. 1 the movement of the end I I of the anchoring portion I2 of the button will tend to crowd the material of the nlling at the point I5 against the casing, and such filling will thus furnish a sufficient resistance to the tipping movement of the button to prevent it from assuming a position in which the head could be pulled through an opening in the mattress ticking.

I claim:

1. A tufting button having a head and a wire shank formed with a knot-receiving stem portion extending at substantially right angles from the head, said Wire shank being bent laterally in one direction from the outer end of the stem portion and then formed into a return bend extending in the other direction beyond the stem portion said return bend being spaced from the laterally bent portion in the direction of the length of the stem.

2. A tufting button having a head and a wire shank formed with a knot-receiving stem portion extending at substantially right angles from the head, said wire shank being bent laterally in one direction frompthe outer end of the stem portion and backwardly toward the head and then formed into a return bend extending in the other direction beyond the `stem portion, said return bend being convexly curved.

3. A tufting button having a head and a wire shank formed With a knot-receiving stem portion extending at substantially right angles from the head, said wire shank being bent laterally in one direction from the outer end of the stem portion and backwardly toward the head and then formed into a return bend extending in the other direction beyond the stem portion.

WILFRED B.' MATHEWSON. 

